On this day in 2009, the Astros were two games out of first place and coming off a year where they were 13 games over .500 before the hurricane screwed everything up.
I have a hard time believing that because Luhnow sent cash to cover parts of Myers remaining salary and part of his option/buyout next season. I haven't heard who covered the trade kicker though. A straight salary dump would be putting him on waivers and letting someone else take over all salary obligations (e.g. Alex Rios).
Sorry. When looking at his numbers, I read his stat line for this year and the one above it, assuming it was last years stats. It was really a 2012 total for both the Jays and Stros. It was different because he'd pitched a game for the Astros and I just thought he'd had 2 crappy years in a row. My bad.
Walters was rated #26 in the White Sox system according to Baseball America. He was an 11th-round pick out of Hawaii last season. Signed for only $25K. He throws a low 90s fastball with some sink. Breaking ball is a cutter/slider combo that has some late life. Changeup is average. Mixes pitches well and doesn't make too many mistakes up in the zone. Strike-thrower.
The White Sox spent the least money in the 2011 Draft. So, the chances of a PTBNL being a 2011 draftee are pretty slim. Other than Keenyn Walker, there's really no standout in the 2011 class. Only 3 of their picks signed after July 21, 2011. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-in-reply-to="226766490827886592"><p>@<a href="https://twitter.com/StreetJL">StreetJL</a> Chris Devenski, RHP (25th), Brandon Parrent,LHP (30), Bryce Mosier, C(33rd)</p>— Mike Tauser (@farmstros) <a href="https://twitter.com/farmstros/status/226768266876571649" data-datetime="2012-07-21T19:59:02+00:00">July 21, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
And, in actuality, they did start the blow-up in 2010 with the trades of Oswalt and Berkman. Unfortunately, they did not have Luhnow pulling the trigger.
I think you're assuming it's PTBNL because of the signing date but it could be a performance based PTBNL. A certain number of saves, a certain ERA, innings pitched, and it triggers options on different players.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Heidenreich (21) will be assigned to Corpus Christi, Walters (22) will be assigned to Lancaster.</p>— Houston Astros (@astros) <a href="https://twitter.com/astros/status/226761926242353154" data-datetime="2012-07-21T19:33:50+00:00">July 21, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
This could still be a situation in which Luhnow wants to reserve judgment on one of a handful of interesting White Sox prospects, as the Astros did last year with Domingo Santana. Given that the Astros are paying the vast majority of Myers's remaining 2012 salary (and a chunk of his 2013 salary and/or buyout amount), and given that the two prospects received thus far aren't anything to write home about, I'm thinking that the PTBNL is going to be the best prospect in this trade. Could be a 2011 draftee. Maybe not.
Which was my point: why drag the thing out over three years?? What did Drayton possibly stand to gain by having a third of a firesale??? I mean it's great that Luhnow is at the helm for the finish of this, of course. It just seems like more tomfoolery on Drayton's part to sell off a third of the veterans only. Did he imagine they could be competitive in 2011?? From this admittedly undereducated layman's standpoint, it looks as if they said, "Hey, why suck for three years when you can make it six or seven!?!"
I am underwhelmed at this deal. It just doesnt add up. Perhaps Luhnow had a brain fart that day? Nawwwwwwwwwww :grin: On the PTBNL, maybe its one of those deals where if Myers is this good, we get player X, and if he does this bad, we get player Y.
Myers didn't have much value. This was basically a salary dump to save them from myer's vesting option next. Will be interesting to see what Wandy can attract.
I think Wandy is going to be the hardest guy to trade because of that $14 million dollar option that kicks in if he is traded. The fact that he has been utter **** the past couple of months isn't going to help either.
